Ore concentration



N0 mrawing.

ltl

" to he the active principle.

atented Apr. 26, 1932 CORNELIUS H. KELLER, OF S FRANCISCO @ALHUENIA, ASSIGNOE! ".'l." M i SEPATIDN NORTH AMERICAN GGR-PORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. L, A COB-POM TTUTT QT MARYL D application filed. March 1,

wherein R is an organic radical and M is hydrogen or a metal or another group.

Cne such compound which is of the ring type, is thio-benzoic acid. This compound was prepared by mixing benzoic acid with about 40% of its weight of phosphorus penta-sulphide and heating to produce a vola-.

tile substance which condensed in a receiver to a liquid which finally solidified.

The solid thus collected proved to be a useful agent in connection with a mineral-frothing agent in the concentration of ore. It contained thio-benzoic acid, which was found Example I.Utah Copper Company me was reground with 4 pounds of lime and 0.1

' poundof the solid condensate, both per ton of ore, and water, in a ball mill to produce a pulp. The pulp was transferred with ad-' ditional water to an M. S. subaeration flotation machine and agitated with the addition of 0.1 pound pine oil per ton of ore, and a froth-float concentrate separated. The con- M1 dd centrate thus obtained was put back into the machine and reagitated with the further ad'- dition of 0.05 pounds of pine oil per ton of original ore to separate the first concentrate into a finished concentrate and a middling. The results are shown in the'following table:

Assays Recovery Cu Fe Cu Fe Heads 0. 968 2. 9'5 100. 0 100. 0 Cones 33. 68 22. 8 76. 6 17. 0 Midds 2. 16 4. 8 10. 9 7. 9 Tails 0. 13 2. 4 12. 5 75. 1

Another source of a thio acid is pyromucic sublime the mixture.

GEE CONCENTRATTUN 1930. @crial NC... MELSQQ.

or furoic acid, obtained when turturyl is treated with sodium hydrate to make furfuryl alcohol. This reaction produces furoio acid and furfuryl alcohol.

Thio-furoic acid was. produced from turoic acid by mixing the latter with solid phosphorus penta-sulphide and heating to The suhlimed reaction product contained a substantial proportion of thio-furoic acid. The. remainder of the sublimate was principally unchanged furoic acid and contained a small amountof material insoluble in water. Both the thio-furoic acid and the water-insoluble material were found to be useful agents in flotation in connection with mineral-frothing agents.

Example ll.-Utah Copper Company ore was reground in a ball mill with four pounds of calcium oxide per ton of ore and made into a pulp. The pulp was agitated in the same flotation machine with 0.1 pound of the above-mentioned sublimate and 0.1 pound-of pine oil, both per ton of ore, and a froth float concentrate separated. The concentrate thus obtained was put back into the machine and reagitated with 0.05 pound pine oil per ton to separate the first concentrate into a. finished concentrate and a middling. The results are shown in the following table:

%wt. Cu Fe fi Fe Heads 1000 0. 95 ass 100.0 100.0 2.3 30.44 25.2 81.1 -20.1 a 5 a 00 4. 0 0. 0 4. 0 05.2 0.12 as 12.0 H m0 Ezmmple III.A Tennessee zinc ore from Universal Exploration Company was suitably ground wlt-h vwater to make a pulp and transferred with additional water to asimilar flotation machine and agitated with 0.15 pounds of .the same sublimate,- 0.4 pounds coal tar creosote and 0.1 pounds pine oil, all

per ton of ore, and a froth *float concentrate separated. The concentrate thus obtained was put back into the machine and agitated with the further addition of 0.05 pounds per tons of the sublimate to separate the first concentrate into a finished concentrate and a middling. The results are shown in the following table: 1

Example lV.-A Missouri lead ore from Deslo e Consolidated Lead Company was suitab y ground with water to make a pulp and transferred with additional water to a similar flotation machine, and agitated with 0.2 pounds of the same sublimate, and 0.1 pounds of pine oil, both per ton of ore, to yield a concentrate and a tailing. The results are shown in thefollowing table:

% wt. Pb g g Beads 100. 0 5. 63 100. 0 Cone 10. 38 52. 0 96. 0 Tails 89. 62 O. 25 4. 0

E zit-ample V.Utah Copper Company ore was reground wet in a ball mill forten minutes with 4. pounds of lime per ton of ore, madeinto a pulp with additional water and agitated for five minutes with 0.1 pound cresol and 0.05 ounds of the same sublimate, both per ton o ore. A rougher. froth concentrate was then separated for five minutes and the tailings were discarded. This rougher concentrate was reagitated for two minutes with the further addition of 0.05 pounds of cresol for two minutes and a finished froth concentrate separated for three minutes. The tailings from this cleaning operation were middlings. The finished concentrate contained 25.92% of copper, the discarded tailings contained 0.10% of copper, so that 7 8.3% of the copper was recovered in the finished concentrate. Only 25.6% of the iron appeared in the finished concentrate.

I With 0.25 pounds of the thio-furoic acid substituted for the amount used in the foregoing procedure, tailings were obtained which contained 0.08% copper, though the grade of concentrate was lower, being 18.95% copper, because of increased iron content.

Thio-propionic acid was prepared by heating propionic acid, CH CH COOH, with an equal weight of phosphorus pentasulphide and half its weight of coarse sand. From 150 cc. of the propionic acid about 45 cc. of distillate was obtained with a boiling point of 95 to 135 C. On redistillation about half of this distilled at 109 to 112 C.

The latter fraction appeared to consist largely of thio-propionic acid. Part of it was vmverted into the corresponding disulphide by treatment with potassium ferricyanide. Both the thio-propionic acid and the corresponding disulphide were found useful in ore concentration.

Thio-acetic acid was found of some value in acid pulps. Thio-salicylic acid was found of some value in pulps made alkaline with lime.

Furyl disulphide was made by treatment of a solution of thio-furoic acid with potassium ferricyanide or by treatment of the solution with copper sulphate, which latter rocedure concomitantly produced cuprous t iofuroate which precipitated and Was separated. This disulphide, produced by either procedure, was found useful in flotation.

Example VI.Utah Copper ore was ground with four pounds of lime per ton and made into a pulp and agitated for five minutes with 0.25 pounds of the thio-furyl disulphide and 0.10 pound of pine oil, both per ton of ore, and then a rougher froth concentrate separated for five minutes. The concentrate thus obtained was put back in the machine and reagitated for two minutes with the further addition of 005- pound of pine oil per ton, and then a finished concentrate containing 18.44 per cent of copper was separated. This contained 80.1 per cent of the copper of the ore but only 35.3 per cent of the iron. The tailings from this retreatment constitute a middling.

Ewample VIL-Utah Cooper Company ore was reground to pass 80-mesl1, made into a pulp with water and agitated with 0.25 pounds of the thio-propionic acid, prepared as above described, 0.1 pound pine oil and 7 pounds sul huric acid, all per ton of ore, and a frot -concentrate separated. The heads contained 0.984% copper, the concentrate 11.60% and the tails 0.12% representing a recovery of 88.72%. Nearly as good results were obtained when no acid was added to the pulp, and also when the ore was ground with four pounds of lime per ton.

Almost as good results were obtained when, instead of the redistilled thio-propionic acid, there was used, in an alkaline pulp, the residue from the redistillation of the acid or the oily substance extracted with ether from the residue remaining after the preparation of the reaction product.

Example VlH.Utah Cooper Company ore was reground to pass 80-mesh, made into a pulp with water and agitated with 0.25 poundsof the disulphide made from thiopropionic acid, 0.1 pine oil, and 7 pounds sulphuric acid, all per tonof ore, and a froth concentrate separated. The heads contained 1.068% copper, the concentrates 16.96% copper, and the tails 0.17%, representing a recovery of 84.93% of the copper.

, E mample I X .Utah Copper Company ore was reground wet with 4 pounds of calcium oxide per ton to pass eighty-mesh and agitated with additional water for two minutes with 0.1'pound of potassium ethyl monocopper.

the total cop er.

panacea Assays Recoveries Insol. %wt. %Cu %Fe -%Cu %Fe 100. 1. 012 2. 90 D. 10[). Cone 2. 81 27. 6B 27. 2 6. 5 76. 88 26. 37 Midd 3. 82 3. 20 14. 3 12. 05 18. B5 Tails 93. 37 0. 12 1. 7 11. 07 54. 78

Ewmnple X.Utah Copper Company ore was reground wet with 41 pounds of calicum oxide per ton to pass eighty-mesh and agitated with additional water for two minutes with 0.1 pound potassium amyl mono-thiccarhonate, and then 0.2 pounds cresylic acid was'added, both reagents being per ton of ore, and a rougher froth concentrate removed for five minutes. This rougher concentrate was puthaclr into the machine and reagitated for two minutes 0.05 pounds cresyhc acid added, and a finished troth concentrate removed for three minutes, the tailings from this operation constituted a-middlin The results are shown in the following table:

Example XI.lUtah Copper Company ore was ground wet with t pounds of calcium oxide per ton, made into a pulp with 0.1 pound pine oil and 0.25 pound of potassium henzyl mono-thio-ca-rbonate, both per ton of ore, and a froth concentrate separated. The ore contained 1.031% copper, the concentrates 13.12% copper, and the tailin s 0.14% copper, representing a'recovery of 8 39% of Example H.--lltah Copper Company ore was ground wet with 4 pounds of calcium oxide per ton, made into a pulp with further water, and agitated with 0.1 pound of pine oil and 0.25 pound potassium butyl monothio-carbonate, both per ton 0t ore, and a froth concentrate separated. The ore con tained 1.022% copper, the concentrate 11.92% copper, and the tailings 0.15%c0pper, representing 'a recovery of 85.52% of the total Example XHl'.-lltah Copper Company ore was ground wet with 1 pounds of calcium oxide per ton, made into a pulp with further water, and agitated with 0.1 pound of pine oil and 0.25 pound of potassium cyclohexyl mono-thio-carhonate, both per ton of ore, and a froth concentrate separated. The ore contained 1.034% copper, the concentrate contained 12.80% copper, and the tailings 0.12%

copper, representing a recovery of 89.20% of the total copper,

It was found that the lead and copper salts of ethyl mono-thio-carhonic acid were ettective agents in the flotation concentration of ores.

Example .YI'V.--lltah Copper Company ore was wet ground to pass eighty-mesh and made into a pulp with water and agitated with 7 pounds sulphuric acid, 0.1 pound pine oil and 0.25 pound of the disulphide made by treating a solution ot potassium ethyl mono-thio-carbonate with potassium terrn cyanide, all per ton of ore. A lroth concentrate was separated containing 11.28% copper. The original ore contained 1.058 copper, and the tailings contained 0.12% copper, representing a recovery of 89.6% or the total copper.

A richer concentrate with nearly as large a recovery was obtained when the sulphuric acid was omitted from the pulp and the ore was ground with calcium oride hetero agitation to produce the troth. The disulphide also proved useful in a neutral pulp oi the I ore.

Having thus described certain emhodiments of the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The process oi. ore concentration which consists in agitating a pulp or an one with an organic compound containing the group RCSM in which it is an organic group and llll is hydrogen or a metal or another group, so as to term. a floating concentrate, and separating the float.

2. The process of ore concentration which consists in agitating a pulp of an ore with an organic compound containing the group a-o-e-M in which R is acyclic, organic group, and M is hydrogen or a-metal or another n-c-s- .3. The process of ore concentratiomwhich iao consists in agitating a-pulp of an ore with an organic compound containing the group in which R is an organic group connected to the carbon atom by a'carbon atom of the R group, and M is hydrogen or a metal or angroup, so as to form a floating concentrate, and separating the float. f

4. The process of ore concentration which consists in agitating a pulp of an ore with a non-nitrogenous mono-thio derivative of an organic acid in which the double-bonded oxygen and the sulphur are attached to the same carbon atom, the agitation being. conducted under such conditions that a floating concentrate is formed, and separating the float.

5. The process of ore concentration which consists in agitating a pulpof an ore with a mono-thio derivative of acyclic, organic acid in' which the double-bonded oxygen and the sulphur are attached to the same carbon atom, the agitation being conducted under such conditions that a floating concentrate is formed, and separating the float. 6. The process of ore concentration which consists in agitating a pulp of an ore with a mono-thio derivative of furoic acid in which the double-bonded oxygen and the sulphur are attached to the same carbon atom, the agitation being conducted under such conditions that a floating concentrate is formed, and separating the float.

7. The process of ore concentration, which consists in agitating a pulp of an ore with a compound having the formula in which R stands for the furyl group under such conditions that a floating concentrate is formed, and separating the float.

8. The process of ore concentration which consists in grinding the ore in a pulp containing a non-nitrogenous mono-thio organic acid and thereafter agitating the ore pulp in the presence of a mineral-frothing agent so as to concentrate the mineral as a float, and separating the float. L

In testimony whereof,-- I have aflixed my signature to this specification.

CORNELIUS H. KELLER. 

